


Friends Are Family Patch

by FrsdGirl



Series: I Thought Romance Was a Foregone Conclusion... [5]
Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: F/M, One Shot, good amount of angst but for once it's not about an oblivious boy, it's in the 'comfort', single parent issues, someone hug Isabella pls
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:21:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26772100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrsdGirl/pseuds/FrsdGirl
Summary: Isabella has the "Amazingly Independent" patch for a reason, she's become rather good at being on her own. But a reminder from the creator of the patch, one Buford van Stomm, reminds her that family doesn't just have to be blood related. Buford, as his effervescent self, manages to push Phineas into the situation, leaving the unsure inventor to comfort their friend.
Relationships: Isabella Garcia-Shapiro & Buford van Stomm, Phineas Flynn/Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
Series: I Thought Romance Was a Foregone Conclusion... [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931140
Comments: 17
Kudos: 57





	Friends Are Family Patch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovely readers!!!!  
> A bit of a different mood with this one as our favorite kids deal with different kinds of problems. 
> 
> Oh, there you are disclaimer!  
> Do I own P&F? No, no I don't.

Isabella hung up, sighing to herself. She looked around the Flynn-Fletcher backyard, taking in the scene and smiling a bit ruefully. A huge, round machine stood in front of her, a delicious smell spilling out of it. Today, they were making what Phineas kept calling Sensitive Sweets. A scanner on the outside of the huge, multicolored structure scanned your face and provided some pastry based on perceived mood. She had gotten a bright pink donut with heart sprinkles, unsurprisingly, and it oddly tasted like comfort. Isabella hadn’t ever realized comfort had a taste, but at this point, there wasn’t much that surprised her.

She thought about grabbing one more baked confection before leaving, but decided against it. Everyone had seen her last attempt and she had a feeling the next one would look rather different. Her mom had called asking for her to pick up some supplies for the restaurant. Ever since getting her license, her mom would often call asking for favors, which she really didn’t mind. She didn’t. Okay, maybe she did. She was sixteen, after all, and although she would always be willing to help and would always say yes, leaving her friends to their happy devices while she was out working was still difficult. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but it was hard sometimes, being the only child of a single mother.

Isabella’s father lived in Danville, but his presence was a distant one. Her parents got along but it was too much to ask for, at least that’s what she told herself, for him to really be there for her. Special events and holidays, that’s when she got to see him. The everyday aspects of life, picking up ingredients and picking up shifts when the restaurant got busy, that was for her to do.

Her friends were always sympathetic, but it’s not like they could possibly understand. They had siblings, they had more than one guardian. They had support. Well, there was one person who did understand, actually. Buford glanced over at her and nodded a bit, starting to walk over. She was sure he had heard her answer the phone with a clipped, “Hi, mom.” From his sympathetic look, he guessed what was going on.

“She need you for something?” Buford asked as he approached.

Isabella nodded, sighing again.

“It’s hard, girlie, I know.”

She only nodded again.

“We’ll wait for ya.”

“Nah, I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. I have to pick stuff up from a couple of places. I’m sure it’ll be dinnertime by the time I’m done.”

Buford nodded. Surprisingly, he didn’t even bother making a sarcastic comment.

“You got your patch?” He asked, smiling.

She laughed.

“It’s in my room, I’ll grab it when I go get my car keys.”

Making patches had become something of an inside joke with the group. She was usually the one who made and provided them, and even those in the group who hadn’t been Fireside Girls got themselves sashes to hold the little mementos. Buford especially had taken to the tokens, and he asked for one almost everyday. She didn’t provide them that often, but Buford was her number one recipient and he even occasionally returned the favor. A couple of years ago, after her father had missed her Fireside Girls Award speech, she got her first patch from him. It was the “Amazingly Independent” patch, and although it was misspelled and the stitch work left a lot to be desired, it was absolutely perfect. He told her it was a reminder that although she was strong on her own, she wasn’t completely on her own when it came to **things**. That he would be there for her the same she’d been there for him. It was an act of friendship both uncharacteristically and very characteristically like the bully and now, Buford always made a point of telling her to take it with her when she was feeling a bit down about her family situation. He kept insisting she should open up to some of their friends about it, but she never did. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful, she loved her mom and dad. She also didn’t want them to pity her or see her as different, just because her family worked a bit differently. Buford told her that was called suppression and was ill-advised when dealing with emotional situations, but sometimes it was easier to ignore than address. Her friends always saw her as confident and happy, and most of the time, she was. She could deal with this just fine, even if it was annoying.

Isabella said her goodbyes to the group and walked across the street, leaving fun behind for the rest of the day. Buford watched her and then turned to Phineas, who seemed to be pensively looking after her.

“Dinnerbell!” He called out and Phineas snapped out of his reveries, walking over to him.

“Yeah?”

“Isabella seemed awfully sad, there.” He remarked. “Would be nice if someone went with her.”

“It would.” Phineas answered, glancing back at her.

Buford rolled his eyes.

“Look, I got Nerd Night with Baljeet, so I can’t. But why don’t you go over and offer?”

Phineas spluttered for a second. “But she might, I mean, she may not want for me to—maybe if Ferb comes with us…”

Buford gave him a shove and the redhead shuffled over, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Ferb came up from behind and stood next to Buford.

“Dinnerbell is making a move.” Buford announced to him.

Ferb made a noncommittal noise.

“Well, maybe not.” Buford conceded. “But the sooner he realizes, the better for all of us.”

Phineas, on the other hand, was having a small heart attack. He knew it was ridiculous, he made excuses to see Isabella all the time. And they often spent time the two of them together, but it always seemed like there was an excuse he could come up with to make it seem less forward. The big ideas, homework, they were all great covers. But coming over and asking to come with her when all their friends and his brother were in his backyard and still playing with the machine they had made? Yeah, that was pushing it a bit. An invention wasn’t going to get him out of this one though, so he steeled his nerves, took his hands out of his pockets and knocked on the door.

At the same time, Isabella came barreling out, crashing straight into him.

He caught her and steadied both of them. Looking up, he realized their faces were so close together and he could smell her perfume and yeah, this was definitely a bad idea.

“Phineas!” She called out, her cheeks flushed from the fall.

“Isabella, hey, um, I was thinking, maybe you could use some company.”

Honestly, after everything, he couldn’t even be mad at himself for this staggered speech. It was a miracle he could get any words out.

“Oh.” She said. “Yes, actually, that would be nice.”

She broke into an adorable smile. Suddenly, Phineas felt like it was the best idea ever. He made a mental note to thank Buford later. And make him that obstacle course for Biff.

He glanced down, noticing how Isabella was clutching a patch in her hand.

“What’s that?” He asked. “I haven’t seen that one before.”

Isabella glanced over across the street. Buford and Ferb were still watching the two of them, and Buford was smirking in a way that made her sure this was his doing. He was definitely going to want a matchmaker patch for this, and honestly, she didn’t mind at all.

“It’s one Buford made for me.” Isabella answered.

“What’s it for?”

“Well, it’s the ‘Amazingly Independent’ patch, and I got it for…” She faltered for a second.

Phineas kept looking at her, giving her a small nod, willing her to go on.

She took a breath, steeled her nerves, and launched into it.

She talked all through the drive. She talked through picking up the food, the paper cups, the cash register ribbons. He helped her bring everything into the restaurant and then she kept talking and he kept listening and throwing in comments every once in a while and then they arrived back at their houses long after the sun had set.

Isabella parked in her driveway, and kept her eyes on the front door. She didn’t want to look at him. He had been so amazingly supportive but it was still very… vulnerable. She turned the car off and got out, placing the keys in her pocket. She felt the patch there and smiled. Buford would be proud.

Phineas silently got out. She knew he probably didn’t know what to say, he couldn’t say anything back and offer empathy, only sympathy.

He walked over and pulled her into a hug. Isabella gripped the back of his shirt, feeling a warm feeling creep into her heart and mingle with the frustration she had felt all afternoon. They stood there holding onto to each other for a bit and for once she thought more about the hug than of when it would end.

He broke it off first, but took her hands in his when he did.

“Thank you.” He said, voice a bit thick. “I know I can’t understand what it’s like, but I always want to know how you feel and what I can do. It’s not the same, I’m not trying to make up for it, but you should know that my family considers you one of us.”

She nodded, smiling even as her eyes filled with tears.

“So much so, that my mom already texted me inviting you to dinner. If you want to come.” He added, almost sheepishly.

She laughed, and the two of them headed over.

Isabella kept feeling Phineas’ gaze on her throughout dinner and he seemed more attentive somehow, filling her glass of water three times whenever it got half full. It was completely unnecessary, but it felt good to have him notice, to have someone helping not because they needed to, but because they cared.

When they finally sat down to look at blueprints for the weekend (a traveling butterfly exhibit, it’s a long story, but basically instead of capturing and keeping butterflies in one place, guest are transported to different places around the world known for having large butterfly populations), Isabella took out her phone and shot Buford a quick text.

She glanced over at Phineas, and smiled. It was weird. She felt like something had changed between them. Usually when this happened, it was because something borderline romantic had happened, but this wasn’t like that. It wasn’t their romantic hopes that had changed, it was their friendship. She felt closer to him, like he knew her a bit better now that he saw more than the happy confidence she always displayed. And that it was okay that he had. Her phone buzzed and she looked down at it.

_Glad to hear it. Friends are family too. I better get a patch._ Buford answered.

Isabella chuckled to herself, taking out a piece of paper and sketching out a design for the Friends are Family patch.

Buford really earned it. And she could think of at least one other person who had too.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING! I liked being able to write more of a friendship oriented fic for these two cinnamon rolls, and you know Buford always loves making an appearance. I was really reminded this week about how amazing and supportive friends are and felt like I wanted to translate that into a short little snippet. The heightened fluff will be making a return, no worries, but it was nice stepping into these different emotional roles!
> 
> Let me know what you think!!! LOVE YOU ALL!


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